Olearia passerinoides (Daisy Bush)

Olearia passerinoides is a mallee daisy and is quite a large bush with bright  green leaves, different to many mallee daisies which often have grey green leaves. Although this is a shrub, to me it behaves as a perennial shrub, in that new growth appears along the older wood.

The bush has a tendency to become scruffy, with the leaves higher up the stems and the flowers also high. If it was cut back to the lower growths, it would have dense foliage and be a more compact plant, and I suspect the flowering would also be quite spectacular.

As usual, I promise myself that I will do this, and yet another season goes buy. Mine have just finished flowering, so out with the secateurs tomorrow, while I think of it.

Olearia passerinoides is drought, lime and frost tolerant. It has clusters of small white daisies and grows to 2-3m tall by about 1.5-2m wide if left to its own devices. Pruning will keep it to a more compact size.

Dampiera rosmarinifolia

I found another good photo of this suckering plant which spreads by underground shoots form the root stock. It is a good hardy plant to have in a perennial border. It is easily kept confined.

It is drought tolerant and frost hardy and grows in lime soils.

Calocephalus citreus (Lemon Beauty-heads)

Calocephalus citreus is a small member of the daisy family, growing 20-50 cm high by 30-60 cm wide. It has silver grey foliage and small, yellow button type flowerheads in late Spring to Summer. The photo was taken in early January at Canberra Botanic Gardens.

This plant is perennial and should be pruned after flowering when new growths begin near the base of the plant.  It is hardy in most situations and withstands dry periods.

I would call it a drought tolerant plant when I observe its survival here. It grows in loam and sand, in half to full sun, including dappled sun.

This attractive daisy dries well for use in flower arrangements.

Eremophila oppositifolia x

We had lunch at Murrayville in Western Victoria at a rest area and this Eremophila formed a screen on one side of the picnic table. I am not really sure whether it is a hybrid, but it has the look of Eremophila oppositifolia, but then again, not quite. So I am assuming it is a hybrid, as many Eremophilas do form natural hybrids in the wild and they are being propagated. This plant has pink flowers with spots in the throat. The pure Eremophila oppositifolia has white, cream, pink or purple flowers, all of which are very pretty plants.

In most cases the plants I have seen are around two metres tall. These possible hybrids were about two and a half metres tall and nearly the same width.

Further along the road is a planting that I admired and had a number of photos of from a couple of years ago. I was really disappointed to see so many of the plants dead. This area has been in drought for a while. Some Eremophilas need a reasonable rainfall, probably deep drinks, infrequently, rather than small amounts often.

Eremophila oppositifolia x

Templetonia Retusa

There are large, red pea shaped flowers very attractive to birds and butterflies, during winter and spring. This is a hardy plant suitable for front line coast and inland situations. It is moderately frost tolerant and requires good drainage. This can be achieved by creating a planting mound at least 5-10cm higher than the surrounding soil, if drainage is a problem. Templetonia retusa is found in South Australia and Western Australia. More information can be found here and here.

Kennedia prostrata

This species grows in acid to alkaline conditions, is moderately frost tolerant, and can be trimmed if necessary. It flowers from winter through to early summer, depending on the area. More information can be found here and here.

Kennedia prostrata

Prostanthera aspalathoides (Mint Bush)

This photo was taken in Little Desert National Park. It grows in the mallee sands and there- fore needs good drainage. The occasional trim after flowering is useful for keeping the bush compact. Nectar feeding birds, like Honeyeaters, love the nectar filled flowers.

This is a species that grows in acid to highly alkaline soil, and is drought and frost hardy. It is suitable for second line coastal planting, and grows to .7m high.

Prostanthera aspalathoides, yellow form (Mint Bush)

Dampiera rosmarinifolia

Dampiera are suckering plants which form clumps, increasing from an underground root stock from which new growth arises. When this happens is a good time to prune out old growth and tidy the clump. This photo was taken in Little Desert National Park in Western Victoria and I suspect it is a subspecies of Dampiera rosmarinifolia. I will check that when I get access to my reference books again.

This is a hardy plant and has grown very well in our 350 mm of rain which we usually get in the winter. It flowers in the spring with these dark purple flowers. We have a pink and a mauve version of this also. It needs well drained soil which can be achieved by mounding the soil. Even as little as 10 cm will improve drainage.

It needs well drained light to heavy soil, dappled shade to full sun. Even though it is prickly, it can be used quite successfully to control human foot traffic, and animal access. This is another which can be propagated by seed or cuttings. Watch for new growth following pruning for cutting material. This Acacia is drought hardy and lime tolerant.

See here for growing from seed, and here for growing from cuttings.

This is a variable shrub .5-2m x 1-3m, dense to open, or spreading. Some varieties have small spines. It has yellow globular flower heads at the ends of the branches. It grows in reasonably well drained light to heavy soil, in dappled shade or full sun. It is drought hardy and lime tolerant and is ornamental. This plant can be propagated by seed or from cuttings.

See here for information on taking cuttings.

See here for growing wattles from seed.